


Leaves Amongst the Stars

by thatTVfanlady1495



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Baby Fic, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst, Post-Canon, Sexual Content, These Dorks are Adorable, whouffaldi, whouffle
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-06-05 12:49:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6705118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatTVfanlady1495/pseuds/thatTVfanlady1495
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All of time and space, and these two can't get enough of each other. But things change. And they will.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The "L" word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place after JTTCOTT. Some time has passed though, and the TARDIS is tired of her thief dancing just at the edge of a circle of happiness.

The snog box was _finally_ in sight, they'd been running all day- between those pesky Daleks (again), and now these birdmen (No, they're called 'Aviarions' Clara. Birdmen is a very rude derogative.). The strange green sanded desert landscape was harsh on her legs, so Clara was more than relieved to see the sentient home of the Doctor.

With every step the Doctor grew more giddy, because tonight was the night he would do it. He'd profess his feeling for her (never mind the 'l' word), and ask to pursue her romantically. He looked over to her, and grinned something like he had often done in one of his previous bodies. Finally they reached the TARDIS, and got inside, all but smashed together in the entryway.

He sighed. He didn't want to wait any longer (this body was always very impatient, he noted) to tell her. "Clara...I. I Umm...I...You...Er...We-" He was cut off by the sudden contact of her soft hands on either side of his face, studying him fully.

"What is it Chin? I- Are you upset with me?" She asked, her eyes growing impossibly wider.

"What? Oh no! Not in the slightest! I just... I wanted to-to... Tell you something quite important. I-have-strong-" he was cut off again by her, but this time it was her lips on his that stopped him (and his hearts) mid-sentence.

It wasn't that either was inexperienced that caused this kiss to be so sloppy, it was that they had yearned for each other for so long that their passion made this kiss hot, wet, and still wanting. Their tongues soon were dancing together to a fast tempo, and suddenly Clara found herself being propped onto the TARDIS console, his hands at her hips while hers fumbled with his blasted bow tie at his neck. Once she was settled on the console, the kiss broke apart, if only so both parties could breathe.

"I thought either you'd never get around to telling me, or that- that you didn't feel the same. I was going to ask you about it tonight." She sighed happily into his neck when he pulled her close.

"I know. I wasn't sure I could- I've never been the best with words."

"I know. So stop using 'em." Clara declared fiercely while tugging at his newly untied bow tie to get it off. When she finally had that off of him, she smiled triumphantly and prevented him from further distilling the moment with words by putting her mouth to his once again. _Hmm. This is a really effective tactic;_ she thought as the only sound coming from either of them were soft moans as their correlation of kisses intensified and the Doctor found his shaking hands roaming the voluptuous plains of her body, feeling the race of her heart beneath on hand while the other felt at her bum. Clara's hands were likewise occupied; her left fisted in his tousled locks, while her right made purchase of his small, firm arse. His lips ventured away from hers to explore the new territory of her jaw and neck. She didn't argue, in fact, the moan that escaped her newly free mouth suggested otherwise. While she loved what he was doing, his hands growing more firm on her, the TARDIS console was being less...accommodating to her bum, to the point where is was distracting her. So to get his attention, she pulled away ever so slightly.

"Erm.... Doctor? Not that I am not loving this, believe me I am....but could we maybe...take this elsewhere?" At the sound of her forming words, the Doctor was worried that she was having second thoughts, so he stopped kissing her neck to study her for any sign of regret. There was none to be found (after a quadruple check); so he hoisted her over his shoulder and started walking toward his bedroom. Clara found herself giggling as he headed up the stairs and into the hall. 

"Of course we can! I know just the spot - I- well never mind that- you are going to love it. I think. I hope." He chattered away as he walked. Having Clara over his shoulder was inconvenient, both physically and for the fact that he couldn't see her face, so he shifted her into his arms bridal style.

He held her close to his chest before going in to kiss her again. He didn't need to look where he was going, because tonight, he knew exactly where his bedroom was. This was mostly due to an agreement with Sexy that if he told her, their rooms would be where they left them in the morning. If he hadn't told her, then their rooms would have never been in the same location for more than a few hours for three days while Clara was aboard. 811 of his long strides later, the doctor made a kind of excited noise and broke away from the kiss to open the door.

Clara watched in awe as she personally saw this door to the first time. It was beautiful, hand carved and painted in blue with silver circlular shapes that had to be his language. Her fascination was cut short when the Doctor cleared his throat so he could show her what lay beyond this door.

"Umm... Tada!" He announced with a small flourish of his free hand as he ushered them over the threshold. Once they were inside, Clara jumped out of his arms, only to face him again after a moment of looking at the room, and snog the living daylights out of him.

"You. Have. Immaculate. Taste." She said in between kisses.

"Why thank you dear. I do try." Was his quick reply. She smiled against his lips and hummed in happiness. With this, the Doctor couldn't help himself, he lifted her by the elbows and laid them on their did on his bed. Clara, as always surprised the Doctor with a light flick on his nose once they were settled. "Oi! What was that for?"

" Stop picking me up. Makes me feel incapable." She said with a sour look on her face.

"As you wish. And you are more than capable; you are wondrous." This reply earned him a kiss on the forehead and Clara remained close enough for their noses to touch.

"I love when you get all sentimental. It's awesome." She said with her hand cupping the side of his face. The duo were quiet for some time, basking in the new comfort silence had for them now that their feelings were out in the open. His hand came to her hip.

"Clara...if you continue with _this_ " The Madman gestured all around them. "Then we need to be cautious -I've never done 'the deed' with a human, and relationships of this kind were swept under the rug when my people were around. So know this: There will probably be risks . I am going to do everything in my power to keep you from them. But you need to be mindful of the risks. Being with me... Could be too much. You must let me know if anything feels wrong or off. Are we clear?"

"Yes. I knew that being with you would mean the potential for danger, and I accepted this a long time ago. Thanks for ensuring that I knew though, you're always such a good man."She replies, leaning in to kiss his cheek. He smiles at the gesture, and looks deeply into her brown orbs.

"Well...erm...where were we?" The Doctor said mischievously, waggling his petite eyebrows, causing a bubbly laugh to come from Clara.

"Hmmm... I think it went a little like this." She said playfully before putting her lips to his. The Doctor let out an otherworldly moan like noise and planted his grasp on the full curve of her arse. With this action, Clara deepened this kiss, licking his lips - begging entrance. He let her in immediately, and she knotted her fingers in his hair, suddenly _desperate_ to get closer to him. A second moan from the Doctor came when she sat them up gently, and began to remove his coat. They each were on their knees, and the Doctor sat on his folded legs underneath him. With his help, the coat was pushed aside in seconds.

They then kicked off their shoes (this was much easier for Clara, damn these boots, thought the Doctor who had to break the kiss to untie a bit of each shoe to escape them), and Clara was a bit shocked at his eagerness to have her undressed, this being shone by his lanky hands working at the zip of her dress. He was about to attempt its removal when she remembered something crucial to this action.

" Button." The word stopped the Time Lord momentarily. Then he groaned rather childishly.

"Really? A button _and_ a zip?" She giggled at his whiney tone. But he made quick work of the undoing of the button anyway, because he yearned for more skin to skin contact with Clara. He got the dress over her head with effort from both parties, and the Doctor marveled at her creamy skin, his fingertips brush in first over her stomach, then over her simple bra, and finally to her shoulders, rubbing them with slow firm motions. Clara leaned into his touch, and gave a satisfied moan, which made the Doctor smile. He leaned close as her fingers worked on the many buttons that adorned his own shirt.

When she was finally finished (well mostly finished), she undid the buttons on his sleeves, and took it off of him while she kissed him roughly. The last button on his shirt was still buttoned, so when she tugged it off of him, the button popped clean off! This made her stop completely, and she folded her hands over her mouth.

"Oh my stars! I- I'll fix it!" She gasped.

"No need to dear, we can worry over that later. Right now, there are far more _pressing_ matters at hand." Was his reply that was whispered huskily into her ear. At the word pressing, he pressed his pants-covered erection to her middle, and  one of his hands came to the hooks of her bra, while the other was tangled in her hair, pushing them into another kiss as her bra came undone.

They momentarily separated, and the Doctor leaned back slightly so he could get a good look at her. She unceremoniously slid the straps off her arms, and looked into his eyes. Those eyes were now roaming the plains of her body, and he let another moan out from the back of his throat. _Oh Rassilion, she is magnificent._ Was his only thought while admiring not only her body, but her mind as well. His hands came to cup her breasts, circling the nipples with his thumbs as he kissed hungrily at her neck. 

"Oh Doctor. Ohhh" Were the moaned words that came from her as she arched toward him. One of his hands slipped away and took off his socks. Clara found herself tracing circles and scrolling lines on his back. Once his socks were away, both of his hands went to just above her bellybutton, where the hem of her tights were, and her hands were on his trousers.

The snogging was really sloppy again at this point, because they _needed_ to be closer, just had to remove what little stood in between them. Once the remaining articles of clothing were removed (with very few clumsy mishaps, company considered), the Doctor led her back to the headboard of the bed, and so that they were positioned horizontally on the bed. For a moment that was infinite, Clara and the Doctor feasted on each others bodies. This feasting involved very eager eyes, mouths, and hands, as the pair saw each other completely naked for the first time. They each ravenously groped at the other's body, feeling and squeezing, testing their partner for preferences. Soon enough, the Doctor and Clara were getting a feel for their counterpart's genitalia, she stroked his length curiously while he ventured into her with a single long finger, both moaning deeply in response to these touches. Between the kissing, and all of the touching, Clara was more than ready; she was getting impatient. She came up for air and took short, panting breaths before declaring herself ready for him.

"Doctorrr... I'm ready for you. " She purred, laying herself on her back, legs spread for him. Her eyes never left his, and the understanding of what she said made his widen slightly.

"Ohhhh... Mmmm alright then. Just er-" but he was cut off -

"Shhhh. I've everything we need right-" as she pulled the condom package from the nightstand "-here." She pulled out the condom, and he shifted so his body was hovering over hers, aligned at the hips, so she could slip it right on. When she was satisfied with the on-ness of the protection, she stroked him with her fingers wrapped around his shaft, causing the Doctor to moan most forcefully. Clara found that having him over her didn't make him the boss (because she was most definitely the boss), but rather made him putty in her hands. She slowly moved her hand downwards with every stroke, leading him into her. He was thrusting into her hand with her motions anyways, so his eyes widened in slight shock he realized what had happened.

"You. _Impossible_. Woman." He said as he thrusted deeper into her. He kissed her sweetly and slowed things down when she let out a slight gasp when he filled her up (it must have been a _very_ long time for her), apologizing for any pain he caused, lips ghosting over her neck and collar bone. She reassured him that she'd be fine, she just needed to adjust to the size of him, and with a shift of her hips, she was ready. She clawed into his back with her nailsas she fought to take control.

When things heated up to a burning point, the pair found themselves gasping and calling out each other's names, and clamoring for more touch. were close to the edge of paradise, and their bodies were begging for the release. They worked their way to the top together, thrusting and kissing and touching until finally they climaxed in a heap of limbs. The Doctor had a goofy grin on his face, and Clara was glowing in the post-sex hormonal cocktail that pumped through them. They basked in the afterglow for a moment and of course the Doctor was the first to speak.

"That. Erm.... Was amazing. You... Are ..." He said slowly, shifting out of her, so he could throw the condom in the bin. Clara rolled her eyes, and laid still, not wanting to move on from this moment. She wanted to remember it all. From the way his stomach felt (slightly hard but not sculpted) to the way he smelled (like stardust and a little bit of mint). She committed the room to memory too, and how all of this made her feel like she was floating. Like everything was alright. Her silence didn't seem to have the same effect on the Doctor, because he was hovering over her, propped up on an elbow, brow furrowed with concern, his hand on her shoulder.

"Clara?"

"Yes love?"

"Are you alright?"

"I'm perfect. Why do you ask?"

"You're so quiet. I- I don't know what to think."

"Quiet isn't always a bad thing. I just- couldn't put my feelings to words. But I agree with you. It was amazing." She says with a genuine smile, fingers lightly placed on the side of his face. He smiles fully at her, and leans down to gently kiss her lips. Clara was really enjoying just having him this close again, when he pulled away.

"What- Is something wrong? Are you alright?"

"Oh! I didn't mean to- there's nothing wrong, I just... Feel dirty. Not that- that you make me feel dirty- I - I usually feel the need to shower after a particularly grueling adventure. And then, we went and made more sweat and I - I'm going to take a shower." He said, stumbling over his words, as he first sat up, then inched toward the edge of the bed. Clara grabbed his hand.

"Alright, Chin. I could use a shower too. Let's go."

"Together? How-Is that- alright?" He asked with worry in his voice, his free hand combing through his hair as he nervously stumbled forward.

"Yes together. Yes it's more than alright. Come on then." She said in a rush to calm his uncertainty. Her thumb drew circles on the back of his hand while she lead the way into the en suite bathroom. The room was tiled and crisp, calming shades of blue were throughout the room. The centre of the space was occupied by a large soaking tub with whirlpool jets.

"Ooh. We'll have to take advantage of that at some point." She said slyly tugging him further to the shower, which was quite nice, and large enough for them to shower together without a fuss. Being that they were already naked, turning on the water and adjusting the heat should have been very easy, but the Doctor was distracting Clara with his mouth on her neck. She finally reached the proper temperature, and relaxed into the warm stream of water. She asked if he had any shampoo (knowing full well that conditioner was far too much to ask of him), and he started describing some futuristic stuff from a far away planet. She used it, and was relieved when it smelled like normal earth fruit (strawberries), instead of some alien smell. The doctor then began to ramble on about the shower gel that he was rubbing into her shoulders and back, which smelled like mint and made her skin tingle in a very nice way. He further explained that it tingled because there were nanobots cleaning out her pores, and that it shouldn't be used more than once every two weeks.she hummed into his touch, leaning back as he sloped over her shoulders to reach her chest.

She turned to face him, and smoothed some shower gel over his chest and back, careful to get the suds into the limited nooks and crannies Once they were satisfied with their cleanliness, Clara and the Doctor stepped out of the shower stall, and found that the TARDIS had given them fresh pajamas to wear, and warm, fluffy towels.

"Oh that was nice of her! Thank you dear!" He called to his sentient ship, who hummed in response. Clara was a little hesitant, but she thanked the ship as well. The now exhausted pair climbed into his bed, and cuddled up to each other. Clara sighed happily as she nestled herself into his arm, smuggling close to his chest, feeling the dual rhythm of the hearts there. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her, and kissed the top of her head while she relaxed her body into his embrace. The pair fell asleep with their bodies close.

Clara awoke alone. She knew he was gone from the way the mattress shifted under her. And the lack of warmth beside her. But she vainly held onto hope until she opened her eyes, and found no greeting from her Time Lord. There was no fidgeting from him either. She sighed, and rolled onto his side of the bed, only to come face to face with a neatly folded piece of paper that had her name penned onto it with red ink. Clara sits up, letter in hand, and reads it.

* * *

Dearest Clara,

Have no fear! I in no way regret the events of last night. Oh look! My hand is slightly shaking! It tales quite a bit to do that to me. Interpret that how you like you naughty minx! I'm rambling again, aren't I? The point is, I've stepped out of the TARDIS to look for a part the old girl needs. Oh! And I am going to make breakfast when I return!

Try to stay close by and under no circumstances are you to wander off or leave the ship! I will return shortly.

Yours, The Doctor

P.S. Thanks for the use of the pen. I would have asked, but you looked so peaceful. Oh! I love you, my impossible girl.

* * *

Upon finishing the note (which makes her feel all warm and fuzzy inside), she makes a quick trip to the loo and grabs a book from the shelf and sits in the bed, reading as she waits for Chin boy to make his reappearance. She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knows the Doctor is leaning over her, whispering about the eggs and bacon that he's made for her, and rambling about the part for the TARDIS in the same breath. She opens her eyes and smiles, seeing Chin all smiley with his usual happy glow.


	2. People to meet, places to go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and Clara go on an adventure or two.

How would she continue? Wednesdays were amazing, not that they weren't before, but now he took her places he wanted her to see, as the woman he loved. Not just as a companion, or an assistant, but as his girlfriend. Things were still new and fresh for the couple, but it felt to them as if they had been together all this time, but were only now adding those extra physical activities to the mix. Yes, they had sex. No, it wasn't all that the pair ventured out to do. They still had adventures, and those were always dangerous. 'Wednesdays' lasted days at a time, and they were exhausting to come back from. Clara honestly and genuinely considered coming aboard the TARDIS full time, but was nervous about leaving the Maitland’s.

The Doctor had officially met Mr. Maitland, as Clara's boyfriend, going by the name of Johnathan Smith (it was after all, the name UNIT used on his paychecks), and they became close. Mr. Maitland actually suggested that she 'jump right into it' with John, because he liked them together. He also relentlessly told Clara to introduce John to her Dad. She was able to put it off for now, but she also knew that this wouldn't last forever. With her luck, Mr. Maitland would invite Dad over for dinner on a Wednesday, and they'd be there when the Doctor came to drop her back off. And finding out about John from anyone but her would hurt her Dad.

* * *

 

So, she really had no choice, she had to have a very obnoxious and loud phone conversation with her Dad, telling him about John, and some other random stuff. Her Dad, of course, wanted to meet this fellow as soon as she could manage the trip over. When that talk was over with the promise that she and John would be over in two weeks, she dialed the TARDIS phone number, and hoped he was in. She headed to her room and closed the door, because she didn't need anyone overhearing this chat. The line rang only twice, almost as if he had been waiting near the door for a call.

He didn't have caller id, so he answered in his generic greeting that gave away nothing about him except maybe that he was a help line or something."Hello the Doctor speaking, I'm here to help."

"Hey. It's me Clara. I-" she told him quickly.

"Oh hello dear! Sorry about that generic greeting, you never know who might be snooping about, trying to get information that they shouldn't have. Anyway, how can I be of service? Is something wrong?" He replied brightly.

"No. Oh heavens no. I just-needed to hear your voice. And I - might have had to schedule a visit with my Dad in two weeks so he could meet you." Clara said quickly, hoping he and his super hearing wouldn't catch it. He was nervous about meeting her Dad, telling her that the parents of his companions usually had it out for him, slapping and yelling at him. He swallowed thickly, showing her just how nervous he really was.

"It's going to be alright. I asked if Gran could be over to meet you too, and she's going to love you. So that'll keep things balanced. And there's no way Dad would be rude in front of his mum. So you _will_ be safe." She promised, knowing he'd need to be reassured after what he'd gone through in the past.

"Are you sure, Clara? What if he doesn't like me? What if he doesn't approve? I could never continue with this if I knew your father didn't approve. " He said in a way that Clara knew meant he was wringing out his hands.

" It's alright. Tomorrow I'll coach you on what to say . Then we'll have an adventure or something. Alright?" She tried to make things up to him with the promise of a picnic or something. Anything he wanted, as long as he met her family.

"Yes, I think I can manage that. Thank you Clara." Clara could hear the half smile in his voice, causing her to have this big grin on her face.

"No problem Chin. I'm gonna get going. See you tomorrow."

"Okay dear. Bye. I love you." 

"Bye. Love you too."

* * *

 

The next day, the Doctor arrived as soon as the house was empty, and he was eager to see Clara, who was dressed a bit more casual than usual. When he knocked on the door, peering through the gap in the curtains, Clara was trying to dust some pictures on the wall, but she was too short to properly get the top of the picture she was currently working on, and she was going to knock it off the wall with her efforts to reach the top. This made the Doctor forget about manners as he sonicked the door and burst in, moving Clara out of the way just as the picture fell directly where her head would have been. The Doctor managed to catch the picture, but he toppled onto the floor, landing roughly on his backside with a thud, the photo held close to his chest.

"Oh my goodness! Doctor! How- oh nevermind. That was quite impressive. You're my hero." She said as she got down to him, sitting on her legs beside his chest.

" 'Twas nothing." He said, waving his hand."Now let's see what precious memory I've saved- Ohhh! It's an itty bitty Angie! And I presume her Mum? She looks just like her. Well. Except the ears.Those are all Mr. Maitland." He smiled fondly at the infant in the photograph. 

Then his eyes darted to Clara, then back to the photograph. I would do the whole dad thing again. With Clara. If that’s what she wanted. If it were possible at all. Is it? _Hmm. I’ll have to look into that later. Don’t want to put her in danger because of my ignorance. But babies are nice. Most of the time. Wonder what ours would be like. It would be nice to see what our baby would look like; if it were remotely possible without risk to Clara._ He thought and he smiled crookedly as his imagination conjured up the image of a baby girl of their own, with her smile and maybe this face's eye color, and a spattering of freckles. But for the rest,the girl would be just like his Impossible Girl. He tucked the thought away before handing the item to her so he could get up.

"Well, we should get this back in place, don't want to misplace it." Clara simply nodded, unable to think very clearly with the fog of vibrant thoughts that clouded her mind. _Oh I love babies.. I remember when Angie and Artie were that little. I want to know what it's like to hold my own one day. ...A son...yeah. I want to raise a little boy to be a perfect gentleman. He'd have those gorgeous eyes and those dimples, but he'd also have my hair. And hopefully my chin...._ Clara mused as she took the frame in her hands. She pictured just what their child ought to (in her mind)look like, and felt the ghost of a smile grace her lips. All of this had her heart fluttering and her stomach did happy flip-flops as she thought of him as a Dad, knowing he'd be a natural once he got the hang of it. Clara didn't even know if having a child with him was possible, or if it would be safe for her, but she wanted it anyway. The Doctor had already gotten himself up, and was offering her his hand to aid her assent from the floor.

"Clara?" He asked softly, causing her to jump, her grip on the photograph tightened as she gasped, coming out of her thoughts. She focused her sight and saw Chin standing in front of her, a worried expression in his features, as he offered her his hand which she took. He pulled her to her feet, and took the picture from her to hang it back on the wall.

"You alright there, Clever Clogs?" He asked as he faced her again.

"Yeah. Yeah, I just got lost in my thoughts... Nothing bad, I promise." Clara answered with a smile, taking his hand to her lips and planting a light peck to his knuckles.

"Good. Can't have you lost in dark thoughts love." He said, a lazy half smile brightening him up.

"So... How am I to act when I meet your family? Should I wear a suit? Should I cut my hair?" He began to fidget with his hands.

"Oh no. None of that. Come as you are now. Don't you change a thing for them. That's an order." She told him in her no-nonsense  tone, signaling to him that this was non-negotiable. 

"Yes boss!" He said with a mock salute that made her giggle before she composed her face into one of all business. 

"Good. Now then. Ahem. So basically, when you get there, Dad will want to know what you do. And you can't go saying that you travel in time and space, saving planets and people. He'd have a heart attack. So you tell them that you work in the government, and that it’s secret ops or something. And mentioning that it pays well will help too. And Gran will want to know about hobbies and such. So you tell her about your reading. And astronomy. But nothing alien. Linda , she's always looking for any dirt she can dredge up. So she'll probably ask about your family -or worse yet- past relationships. If it comes to that before we can leave, I’ll do my best to divert it. Or you can tell them that your family died many years ago, and would prefer not to talk about it. That will shut her up for awhile. Hopefully it won't be too bad." She went over the points in her plan with smooth precision, as if she had rehearsed this entire conversation. Knowing his Clara, she had. At least twice.

* * *

He nodded to let her know that he understood what the plan was, and they set out on their planned adventure to visit a planet called Verdesylvania, a planet that was entirely covered in a temperate coniferous forest. The Doctor had promised to take her ages ago, and now they were going to see the magnificent uninterrupted forest with its tall evergreens, and the many animals and plants that grew freely on the planet. They both needed a break from the cold damp that England had been giving them, and the year round spring temperature on Verdesylvania would be a refreshing change.

It also happened that the Doctor loved the tranquility of the forest, and it was one of his most beautiful hideaways. He usually went there alone, so taking Clara was special. So he wanted to watch her take in the beauty. And that he did, running out of the TARDIS before she had the chance to be first.

“Doctor? I- wow.” She said, eyes growing wide in awe at the sight before her. The trees were the truest green she’s ever seen, and the fresh pine smell that permeated the air around them filled her with wonder. The Doctor watched as she looked all around, taking in the woods around them, and the sound of a stream bubbling away a little ways off to the east. He smiled at her brightly, and offered her his hand as he often did, which she took.

They then took up their mission of the day; to wander around (carefully so as not to disturb the inhabitants of the planet), and find the perfect place for a picnic.

“So I take it you like it here?”

“Yeah. This.. this is amazing. It’s so… green! And alive. I can almost… feel the life buzzing around me. Thanks for bringing me here.” she said softly, to which the Doctor brought her hand to his lips to press a soft kiss to it.

“Anytime Clara. I’ll take you to the edge of the universe if it means that you’ll smile like this. That you’ll glow this way.” He said truthfully, his eyes full of the awe and happiness that filled his being. She smiled in reply as she blushed. They continued their hunt for a perfect picnic spot. Eventually, they found a meadow full of wildflowers of eccentric colors like kelly green, and mocha. They sat down their blanket to sit on and the basket of food. Clara began to get out the food, and the Doctor got out the utensils.

“So Doctor. How…” she paused and decided against her original route of conversation as she picked up her sandwich. “ So. How is this gem of a planet not covered with civilization? Or at least a camping lodge or something?”

“Because Clara, this planet is protected.” He lowered his voice a whisper. “By the Tomaians. The trees aren’t just trees, Clara. They’re alive. They’re bipeds who can grow whatever plant life they please using a rare type of photo-telepathy that only exists on this planet. Maybe we'll get lucky enough to see them use it. Once we're finished here, I could take you to see their shrine to the goddess Hekoolas whom they worship for bringing light, and therefore life to them. According to their beliefs that is. Not much of a deity man myself. It's a great shrine though. Absolutely breath-taking. So how about it?" His short ramble ended with a question,  and Clara had her mouth full of sandwich,  so she held up her finger while she chewed and swallowed. 

 "Absolutely! You know that I'm always up for a bit of site seeing. Especially if it meansthe possibility of seeing something...magical." She finally said, breaking the beat of silence that had enveloped them. The Doctor raised his index finger in protest of her use of the word magic, but before he could voice it, Clara spoke.

"And before you say anything about the Tomaians' abilities not being magical, and actually being a scientific process,  I have to say that I don't care. I'm calling it magic, and that's the end of it. It's fun to pretend that magic exists. So don't ruin my fun."

“Well, when you put it like that…I guess I can’t argue if I want any sort of fun on the rest of this trip, can I?”

  
“Nope. Not one bit.” She said with a hint of mirth in her voice They finished their picnic, and began to clean up. Things went smoothly along, and soon enough, they were walking through the wildwood of the planet in a relaxed silence.

  
“This place… it reminds me of the one time that I went camping with my mom and dad. It was so green. And full of trees. And we were so happy on that trip. It took a long while to get there, but it was worth it in the end. Mum never stopped talking about how we should have gone back.”

  
“And where, was this special place?”

  
“Scotland. Mum insisted that I see a proper forest before I grew out of loving the outdoors.”

  
“Ah Scotland. I’ve been there a few times. I actually got banned from the British Empire while I was there once. By Queen Victoria. Right after she knighted my friend and I. “

  
“Really?”

  
“Yup. Vicky wasn’t too fond of my companion and I.”

  
A bit later, he added, “Maybe I’ll take you to Glasgow in the 1900’s at some point. There’s this tea room that’s just lovely there. And we’d go right after it opened. Well, when it was in its prime. You’ll love it.”

  
“I’m sure I will Chin.”

  
A few paces later, she sees a gap in the trees ahead. She picks up her pace , only to stop dead in her tracks once she got there. The trees had left a gap so sunlight could fill the clearing in golden hues, and it lit the massive shrine of Hekoolas perfectly, light flowing over her from head to toe. The shrine itself was made out of some sort of golden hedge like plant, and it was accented by yellow and golden flowers. It was truly a sight to behold. And behold they did. In complete silence, and awe as they marveled the amazing work. Clara slowly moves forward without realizing, and finds herself mere feet away from the base of the shrine. There was a loud snap from behind her, and she felt the ground move a bit. There was a chuff* like sound coming from behind her, and she was too afraid of whatever was suddenly drowning out the sunlight to turn around and look at it. Hearing the Doctor’s voice made her heartbeat slow, if only so it wasn’t the only thing that she heard.

  
“Clara. Stay where you are. This fella here just wants to make sure you are of good intent so close to their sacred shrine. You might feel a bit of a tickling sensation at the base of your neck, but it’s fine. Gabhan here, he’s going to touch your neck to read your thoughts telepathically. He doesn’t have to touch me because I am telepathic by nature. So just think about why we came here. To see the beauty of this place. We mean no harm.” The Doctor spoke slowly in a low volume, taking a step toward her as he did.

She could only nod in return, and the tickling sensation began thereafter. It faded away a short time later, and the ground shook again as the Tomaian guard stepped back into his post, satisfied that the visitors meant no harm.

  
“There. See? That wasn’t so bad.” The Doctor said as he walked up to Clara, moving to be beside her. She looked over to him and gave a half smile, reaching for his hand, which he gave to her.

  
“This. This is worth the invasion of privacy. It’s extraordinary. I can’t imagine the amount of time that went into this. All of the plans.. and the growing periods of these plants. The goddess is portrayed so perfectly, it almost feels like they had a live model or something. “

  
“Actually they did. The planning period took well over twenty years, and the Tomaian High Council commissioned a human to model as their goddess. I actually helped them with that part, I traveled here, and they wanted my companion to do the job. She did it of course, posing for a few hours, and the Tomaians have been kind to me ever since.” He told her as she leaned against him, and his fingers laced tightly with hers.

He took a step further, and Clara stepped with him. Being the clumsy fool that he was, the Doctor tripped over a root that he hadn’t seen, and his sonic screwdriver was launched from his pocket. It landed at the base of the statue, and the Time Lord momentarily went to retrieve his multifunctional tool. He made a grab for it, and accidentally pushed a button. The shrine shook, and it shrunk. To the size of your average doll baby. The chuffing sound came back, and Clara knew it was time for them to leave.

  
“Come on, Doctor! We need to go!“ She yelled to the frozen-in-place man beside her, as she yanked on his arm so he’d run away with her. And run they did, nearly getting caught up by the Tomaians, who launched themselves out of their posts in the ground, rushing to seize the two visitors who had destroyed their shrine. They were fighting against the now wild vegetation, that was growing rapidly to catch them. Their clothes and exposed skin is snagged and cut by brambles, but on they ran. They ran hard and fast, never once letting go of each other’s hands, and never looking back. Clara found herself gasping for air, but she knew they couldn’t stop. They saw the TARDIS ahead, nearly covered in plant life, and the Tomaians were gaining on them somehow. Upon reaching the TARDIS, the Doctor pulled out his screwdriver, and used one of its settings to make a plant rappelling gas appear and they were inside the TARDIS in no time.

  
“That. Was close. Too close.” Clara said once she could breathe again.

  
“l know. I’m so sorry Clara. I’ve gone and screwed things up again. Now we’ll never be allowed to land here again.” He said sadly, eyes cast to the floor. Clara took his chin in her hand, and made him look at her.

  
“It’s alright Chin boy . It was an accident. Not being able to go back here just means that we have to find an even better place.” She said brightly, giving him a smile before leaning in, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. He smiled back at her. She had expected this. What she hadn’t expected, was him turning his head so that their lips met. It was a soft kiss, a _thank the gods that you’re alright_ kiss, but most of all, it was a _this is only the beginning_ kiss. When they parted, the pair set back out for the stars.

* * *

 

Today was the day that she would introduce her family to her boyfriend. Her family was going to meet the Doctor. Clara paced the living room of the Maitland house anxiously. He should be here by now. We need to get going. We’ll be- never mind. Time machine. We’ll be on time. But it would be really beneficial for my nerves if he’d show up soon. She thought right before the wheezing-groaning sound of the said time-space machine sounded and she ran out the door and down the sidewalk before he was even out of the TARDIS.

  
“Hello Clara! I know I’m a bit late- don’t worry! Time machine!”

  
“Hello! Come on! Let’s go!” She said quickly, leaving a chaste kiss on his lips as she went past him into the console room, pressing some buttons and pulling some levers just as the Doctor had instructed her to do. He soon joined her at the console, and together they were landing the Oswald residence in no time at all.

  
“Alright. We’re really doing this. You ready? Because I’m not.” She said, walking back to the console. “ We could- we could go on a trip. Just until we’re actually ready for this.”

  
“Clara. We are ready. You are ready. Let’s do this. Come on clever clogs.” The Doctor said, taking her hand and leading her out of the TARDIS before she could argue. They stepped onto the front stoop, and the Doctor rang the bell. Within a few moments, Dave Oswald came to the door.

  
“Clara! It’s so good to see you!”

  
“Hey Dad.”

  
“And I assume that you must be Johnathan.” He said, extending his hand to the Doctor, who shook it.

  
“Indeed I am. But it’s just John. Or you can call me the Doctor, if you like. It’s a nickname from my time at uni, and it stuck.”

  
“Oh. Umm. I think I’ll stick to John for now. Oh! Where are my manners!” He said, stepping aside to let his guests inside. “I’m Dave by the way. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  
“Likewise. “

  
“Here. Let’s go into the living room.”

  
They went to the living room, and the Doctor admired all of the family photos that lined the walls and any available flat surface, from a photo of Dave and Ellie on their wedding day, to a still of a tired looking Ellie smiling at a newborn Clara. He smiled as he saw an array of photos from Clara’s childhood, and felt his heart sink when he saw a photo of Clara and her father in the cemetery where her mother is buried. Next there are pictures of Clara throughout secondary school, and her graduation. Then the Doctor spotted a picture of Dave and Linda on their wedding day, with an unhappy Clara by their side. Next on the wall was Clara at her university graduation and the Doctor looked at this picture for a long time, seeing her so similar to how she was now, but somehow very different captivated him. Clara cleared her throat, and the Doctor looked up from his staring.

  
“John, this is my stepmother, Linda. Linda, this is John.” She said, gesturing to the blonde woman who stood to shake his hand with her own, which, he noted, was cold for a human.

  
“It’s nice to meet you Linda.”

  
“You’re awfully thin. Can’t you gain some weight or something?”

  
“I-umm I have a very high metabolism. I’ve always been thin.” He shrugged her insult off, and walked over to the armchair that Clara’s gran was situated in. ”Clara! You didn’t tell me that your dad would have a supermodel over!”

  
“Oh my! I’m hardly a supermodel anymore, dear. I’m merely Clara’s gran, Nora. It is very nice to meet you, young man.” She said, smiling widely, taking one of his hands in both of her small ones as she leaned closer.

“If my granddaughter makes some immense mistake by letting you go, you should know that I’m a widow.” She whispered with a wink.

  
“Oh. I’ll keep that in mind.” The Doctor chuckled and took a seat beside Clara on the couch, across from Linda and Dave on a loveseat.

  
“Ahem. So John, what is it that you do for a living? Clara was pretty vague on the phone, only saying that you love your work.”

  
“Oh yes, I do love my work. I am a scientific consultant working for a secret branch of the government, and I’m afraid I can’t say much more than that.”

  
“Ahh. Well, that sounds prestigious. Are you financially secure?”

  
“Oh. Yes. I have a bit saved.”

  
“Good. Just making sure that you’re good enough for my daughter, John.”

  
“ I understand completely. If I had a daughter or even a niece of my own, I’d do the same.”

  
“ Do you have any siblings to give you nieces and nephews?” Linda inquired, leaning forward to better hear the answer.

  
“No, I’m afraid not. It was just me at home.” He said sadly, looking to his boots.

  
“Ahh. Well, you’re in good company then, Clara’s an only child too. Do you have any cousins that you grew up with?”

  
“Not anymore I’m afraid . They’ve all met unfortunate ends, along with the rest of my family. I’m alone save a few dear friends, and I’d rather not talk about such dreary times.” He said, leaving the room gaping, and Linda was beside herself, embarrassed to have asked.

  
“Oh my. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know-“ She stammered, attempting to make amends.  
“It’s quite alright Linda. You couldn’t have known.”

  
“So John dear, what do you do for fun? Have any hobbies?” Gran asked, slicing through the loaded silence with ease.

  
“Yes, I dabble in astronomy and I love to travel. See wonders.”

  
“Well that, is lovely. If you two are done interrogating this poor man, I think it’s high time we had tea.” She said, getting up from her chair, and motioning for Clara to join her in fetching the tea. “Come on Clara, I need some help in the kitchen.”

  
“Alright Gran.” She looked to the Doctor, “Will you be alright, John?” She asked, getting up to go to the kitchen where her grab would be waiting. The Doctor took her hand, and placed a soft kiss to it.

  
“Of course, Clara. Now go, you don’t want to keep her waiting.” He said, throwing her a smile that made her knees weak, and he knew it. As soon as she was out of the room, Dave cleared his throat.

  
“She does seem very fond of you, John. She hasn’t been so happy in such a long time. I wanted you to know that, because she means the world to me, and I couldn’t stand to see her broken. But George was right. You are a good man, and I know you’ll take care of her.”

  
“David! They’re hardly getting married. There’s no reason to say such things.”

  
“I know that, Linda. I just- feel the need to say it. George spoke very highly of you, and I can see why. I thought you should know, that I’d give my blessing if you asked.”

  
“Thank you, Dave. That means the world to me. I- I actually- “ Just then, Clara and her gran came in with the tea. Tea was a quiet affair, Clara’s family now being satisfied with what they had found out about John, so they went on to talk about what Clara was up to. How are the kids? How is George coping? Still good? Any idea of how long you’ll be there? And more questions along those line. Before the pair knew it, they were walking out the door, being waved off by her dad and gran as the walked to where the Doctor had parked the TARDIS around the corner. Once they were safe in the vortex, the Doctor turned to Clara.

  
“So how do you think that went? It wasn’t too bad, was it?”

  
“Oh no. Not at all. It went rather well, actually. I think you might have even won over dad. So that’s all that matters to me. And Gran, She loves you. She told me in the kitchen to say yes with no hesitation if you asked to marry me.” She said with a giggle. The Doctor laughed too, although his was a less lighthearted laugh.

  
“Yeah, umm actually, your dad gave me his blessing. I think. He gave it in a very roundabout way, so I’ll just properly ask him when the time comes.” He said rather shyly, flushed from ear to ear.

  
“I hope you know better than to take me with you on that trip, right?” Clara said, playfully poking him in the shoulder.

  
“Of course, Clara. I wasn’t born yesterday.“ He said indignantly, poking her back.

  
“Good. I want and expect to be surprised when you propose.” she replied with a I mean business look to her.

  
“Yes boss! I will try my best.” He said, triumphantly spinning around in his coat as he went back up to the console to fly his Impossible Girl home. He smiled fondly as she walked out the doors and back to reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to mention that calling gran Nora was an idea from @UniverseOnHerShoulders
> 
> *Also, a chuff is the sound a tiger makes. It's a VVVvvvvVVV sound. I totally recommended that you check out youtube for some chuffing cuteness. :)


	3. A predicament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's something different between our lovebirds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So @UniverseOnHerShoulders became my beta!! Thank you thank you!! I know my posting is irregular, but I'm going to try to post more regularly.  
> Enjoy!!

Things between the pair of lovebirds were blissful and bright. Clara couldn't be more happy that things had gone well with the Doctor's meeting with her family. He was also elated by this success, because it meant he could honorably keep courting Clara. And now, thanks to the three dates that they'd been on since (both on earth and in the right year), one could actually call it that, and not just two people mucking about. They had also been on a few dates that were scattered throughout all of time and space. This was very important to the Doctor, and it made his hearts happy to think that he was doing the right thing.

  
One night, the Doctor took Clara into a quant little dining room on the TARDIS. The room was lit by a few candles, whose flames were reflected by mirrors, making the room glow against the ocher walls. He had cooked authentic French cuisine (that of course he'd learned to make in France), and Clara thought he was up to something. Of course he was, but he wasn't ready to actually execute his plan.

  
He wanted to take an appropriate amount of time to court her before he asked to be honored by her choice to remain with him as his wife. So he gave her the journal that he'd picked up for her anyway- to keep a record of their time together. The simple red book had a flat, gold embossed cover, and creamy lined pages.

  
Clara was a bit disappointed, because she was ready to leap into his life, but she loved the journal. They kept talking well into the 'night', and Clara led her Doctor into his room, where they made love to each other with care and attention to each of their needs.

* * *

  
And then she had jumped into his time stream. By doing so, she sent hundreds of copies (they liked to call them echoes) of heraelf throughout all of time and space, to save him. She had met all of his faces through her echoes, and had vivid dreams (and nightmares) about their lives. They had families. And friends. Some of them _had_ children, while others _were_ children. They had jobs, ranging from governess to baker, working wherever they needed to be to save him. They existed to sacrifice themselves. Most of them perished in their efforts, and very few died of old age. But they also had lives. They all _mattered_. All of this made the dreams and sudden bursts from them telepathically, overwhelming to Clara.

Nightmares had her screaming in the night. Vivid dreams demanded later discussion. And the memories either made her cry, or made her retreat into herself, wanting to be alone for nerve-wracking hours on end. The Doctor was there for her. In any and every way he could possibly be- she'd done this for _him_ , after all. He listened to her when she wanted to talk about it, he held and soothed her after a nightmare, and when she needed space, he let her have it for as long as he could stand it without going mad with worry.

* * *

 

Some nights, after an especially _enticing_ dream (which was never discussed), the Doctor would be startled from whatever quiet activity he had taken up during her sleeping hours (unless he too needed some shut eye), and Clara would very convincingly distract him. Eventually they'd end up in bed, hungrily kissing at each other, and having sex when it suited them.

  
One particular night, nearly two weeks after she’d jumped into his time stream, Clara wanted the Doctor to be rough with her. To mark her. And bruise her. They were standing in her room, about to say goodnight when she brought it up.

  
"Doctor. I... Need something from you tonight." She spoke softly, but her voice was full of want and desire.

  
"Yes? How can I be of service?"

  
"I need you to be rough with me. Bite me. Mark me as yours. Pound into me with wild ferocity and no worries about hurting me. I can't explain why I need this. I honestly don't know. But... I'll understand if you don't want to."

  
"You want…me to…hurt you? On purpose? Oh... Clara. I... Ummm. I can try? I think. But... I really don't want to hurt you. It goes against my code so to speak. An honorable man never raises his hand to a woman. Except in self defense, of course. I do want to help you though. So... I am willing to try. But we have to do this right, yeah? Safe words and all." He spoke softly, a half smile touching his lips, but he tried not to seem to eager, he wanted her to know that he had no intention of hurting her.

  
“ I know that you would never want to hurt me, but this could be fun. Make it so the whole universe can see that we’re together, that we don’t care who knows, and we aren’t afraid of what anyone has to say or threatens to do. I’m with you through thick and thin.” She said in a lust filled tone that she knew turned the Doctor on.

  
"Okay. So what words should we use?"

  
"Hmmm. How about I take Green and you take Red?" He thought it would work well enough.

  
"Okay. Green and red it is." She quickly agreed, snaking her arms around his neck.

  
"Now, you say your word. Just to practice."

  
"Red. Your turn."

  
"Green." With the safe words in place, The Doctor mover over to her and began kissing and sucking at her neck, eliciting a groan of pleasure from Clara. She usually didn’t like the idea of having him bite and nip at her like this, but tonight she couldn’t think of anything that would feel better. She began to trail her fingers down his still shirted back. They were facing each other by the foot of the bed, and she held him to her. She then began to fumble with the bow tie at his throat, trying to remove it, but she was met with a growl from the Doctor who took her hands and pinned them above her head, taking both of her wrists in one of his hands, the other deftly unbuttoning her pajama shirt.

With each newly exposed inch of skin, the Doctor bit and sucked at the flesh, reddening it as he went. Once her shirt was unbuttoned, he released the tight grip on her wrists so she could slide her arms out of the sleeves. With her upper body bare and bruising, he went straight to work on shimmying her pajama pants and knickers down her legs and off.

* * *

Nearly four weeks later, Clara had officially resigned from her position at the Maitland's, and she took up a flat in London with the Doctor, if only for appearances. She lived on the TARDIS most of the time, but today she had to leave so she could test a worrying theory she had. _Alone_.

  
There were _symptoms_. She had been feeling a bit off stomach wise, and her back was especially achy. Along with her breasts. This was normal for Clara, especially around her period, but due to the timey-whimeyness of their travels, she couldn’t be sure of when her period was actually due to arrive. She had tried many methods for trying to keep track, including a mini pocket calendar and a journal, that she scribbled down the time she thought had past when they were together. The Doctor had thought that she was being silly, trying to keep track of time.

Oh, and then there were the _hiccups_. The loud, awkwardly timed (once they had come when she and the Doctor were in the middle of having mind-blowing sex) contractions of her diaphragm, that were painful. She’d never had hiccups like this before. The Doctor made light of them, brushing them off as a silly human problem, and nothing more. She also had been rather hot lately, shedding some of her many layers, not caring where they were. The symptom that made her ponder the possibility of pregnancy was that her small, perky breasts had gotten _fuller_. Even the Doctor had acknowledged it, telling her about it one night (morning, day, whatever) whilst they were snuggled in bed. _“Not that I mind,”_ He’d said.

  
6,311 paces around the bathroom later, the timer on her phone went off. She had to look at the test. The results were in. She had to, but she was afraid. This was all ridiculous- she couldn't possibly be- could she? But then again, she could be. They had certainly done the necessary act more than enough times for this to happen. Her period was late by almost three weeks(if her careful calculations were correct). She counted at least three times in the last month that the protection had either failed them, or was forgotten about in their haste. Not that she wasn't also on birth control, but that could've failed them too. So of course she was worried. She took hesitant, small steps toward the countertop, and picked up the test. She stared past the result window for a moment, but when she focused and saw the result, she couldn't believe her eyes.

  
“No… can’t be. It’s got to be a mistake.” She muttered to herself in disbelief.

  
Clara had been prepared for her own denial, in fact she had planned on it, and bought several different brands. With each waiting period, Clara grew more and more certain of when this could have happened. That night that kink had appealed to her. The bruises were all faded and nearly gone, but some of them were stubborn and remained a slight yellowish in some spots. The Doctor continued to apologize every time he saw them. If she’d gotten _pregnant_ from that night, she was sure he would never forgive himself. She got straight to work, and nearly an hour later, she had to face reality. She was positive. She, Clara Oswald, was undeniably pregnant. So she scooped up the tests, and put all but one in the bin. She put the other one in the top drawer of her dresser, because she had to be ready for him to arrive in oh... Five minutes. Not that she was even dressed yet.

* * *

  
'Oh well...' She thought. ' I probably shouldn't travel anyway...It's too risky.' So off she popped to living room, where she paced anxiously until the familiar sound of the TARDIS landing in her room came through the door, and she nearly ran to it to get him to the living room.

  
"Come in, come in." She said, gesturing to the living room. He looked on curiously at her attire once he was inside.

  
"Clara! Why aren't you ready? I did come at the right time this time, right?" He checked his watch to be sure. " I thought we were going-"

  
"Not today I'm afraid. I have to tell you something. Come on. Let's sit." She pulled him along to the couch where they sat close, knees touching, but no one spoke until-

  
"Well Clever Clogs? What's the something? You know how I am with waiting." The Doctor announced after clearing his throat, sitting there wringing his hands nervously. Clara put her hands over his to stop him.

  
"I was... Getting to it. This is huge. So massively huge that I can barely think about it without getting overwhelmed. So bear with me while I try to get it out in words. I am...expanding...no...that isn't the word...uhhhm...we are... I...I'm pregnant." She spoke slowly, her voice trembling. And he just sat there, mouth gaping, for what seemed like eons to Clara. The only thing that ensured her that he wasn't completely subdued was the occasional blink, and the steady (though a but fast) rise-fall of his chest. The minutes ticked by until Clara was at her wit's end.

  
"Doctor? Are you alright? I know... That this is a shock, but..."

"Are you sure? Maybe your silly human pregnancy test...made a mistake?"She shook her head.

"No, Doctor I don't think eight pregnancy tests are all incorrect.  That's very unlikely. Almost as unlikely as...this." She said,  her hand finding its way to her stomach, fingers splayed, as she thought about the life there."Are you alright Doctor? I know this is a lot to take in..."

  
"I'll be alright Clara. I just... Don't know how - our DNA shouldn't be this compatible. I had thought maybe... But it shouldn't have been this easy. But then again... You are my impossible girl." He said softly, a small smile touching his lips at the end. Clara was confused at the words he spoke. Not compatible? Then... How? What had ... Oh. Maybe jumping into his time stream had altered her right down to her DNA. The Doctor must have had the same string of thoughts, and connected the dots too, because he stood from the couch, and turned to face her.

  
"Oh! Of course! You- saved me - and then we-" he stopped speaking to make this ridiculous kissy face "And now we- Clara! We're going to be parents!" He prattled on excitedly, his smile going full, showing his teeth. The impossible girl felt all warm and fuzzy inside as she watching him, but her stomach was suddenly in her throat as she realized something of importance.

  
"We're going to have to tell my family. And other people. But not too many people. And Doctor- isn't the baby like, impossibly rare? Won't people want to- to take it? To harm it? And me? Am I…in danger?" She said as she too stood from the couch. Clara's heart was racing. Her hands shielding her still flat stomach, and the Doctor was at her side immediately. He put one hand on her lower back, and the other cupped her cheek, making her look at him.

  
"Clara. I would never let anyone harm you. Either of you. And yes, the Hunan -Time Lord combination has always been rare. So there will be people who will want to take you. And the baby. But that's happened to me before, to a dear friend, and I am not about to let it happen again. And most definitely not to the two of you."


	4. Running, always running.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old faces making new friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry that this took forever and it's terribly short, but here you go darlings!  
> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy.

Upon landing in Cardiff, after being briefed about Torchwood and its operations, Clara went to the doors first - as usual - but the Doctor caught her by the arm before she could exit the time machine.

  
“Clara, I’ve got to warn you... You haven’t met any of my friends from Torchwood yet, because I kind of was hoping to avoid that all together. Don’t get me wrong, they’re the best. But be warned, Captain Jack Harkness comes on strong. If he’s too much for you, you’ll let me know, eh?”

  
“Oh? So you think I can’t handle this guy?”

“No! Not at all! I just- if it’s too much… tell me, okay?”

  
“Alright Chin. Whatever you say. But I'm not made of glass, alright? Don’t treat me like I am.” she said, slightly annoyed. She'd taken to calling him Chin ever since she remembered Oswin, and the Doctor secretly (it really wasn’t a secret, Clara knew he loved it) adored the pet name.

  
“Yes dear.” He said with a crooked smile, before letting her go out first. He quickly located the correct slab of concrete to enter the Hub, and they were surrounded by the Torchwood team when they arrived at the bottom.

* * *

  
“Who are you, and what is your intent?” A handsome man with an American accent demanded, pointing a gun at them. Several other people were also pointing guns, and Clara shielded her stomach with one hand, raising the other above her head like the Doctor did.

  
“I’m the Doctor, and this is Clara Oswald. I’m sure you saw the TARDIS land on your security cameras. I - I mean we - need a favour, Jack.”

  
“Lower your weapons!” The man - Jack - said, and the other team members complied immediately. He approachedthe slab, and threw himself into a bear hug with the Doctor. “Doc! Good to see you! You’ve changed your face, I see.”

 

“Indeed I have. It’s good to see you too, Jack.”

  
“And _hello_ , Ms. Oswald. Where did this old man find a gorgeous young thing like you to travel with him?”

  
“Harkness!!” The Doctor barked, ears turning a bright red, scowling widely.

  
“I’m only saying hello to a beautiful lady. I’m not doing anything wrong.“ Jack replied, to which Clara... giggled. The Doctor couldn’t believe it. _Why did this always happen? Why was everyone always transfixed by this man?_

  
“He was right about you, you _are_ a total flirt! He swooped in to save me in London a few years back, and asked if I wanted to come with him. I said yes, and nearly a year later in lateral Earth time... here we are.“

  
“Wow. Always dashing in to save damsels, aren’t you, Doc?” Jack said, pausing only to hear an unintelligible utterance from a scowling Doctor. “Anyway, what brings you to Torchwood?”

  
“Actually, we’ve come to-“ Clara began nervously.

  
“We’re here to see Dr. Jones-Smith. We have a... a bit of a unique predicament, and she is the only physician equipped to handle the care necessary.” The Time Lord said truthfully.

“Well, I’m sure Martha will be happy to help once she comes in for the day.”

  
“She isn’t in yet? Isn’t it...” He pauses to dramatically look at his watch. “9:30, why isn’t she in yet?” he asks, brows knitting together. Jack laughs at this incarnation’s childlike frustration before giving him the answer.

  
“On Tuesdays and Thursdays Martha can’t come in until about 10:00, she has to wait for the childminder to arrive.”

  
“Childminder? You mean she and Mickey have kids? That’s wonderful.” The Doctor asked, beaming widely at the knowledge that his friends were likely very happy.

  
“Yup. Just one. Martin is almost three. So, why don’t I give you two the tour while these guys get back to work and we wait for Martha?” Jack added.

  
“I think that would be lovely. It looks so technologically advanced down here that I barely know what anything is.” Clara replied lightly, slipping her arm through the Doctor’s.

  
“Most of our tech is out of this world. Literally. So don’t get too down if you don’t recognise something. I can always demonstrate..." Jack charmed with a wink, as he led them through to the main floor of the Hub. He showed them everything there was to see, telling Clara what everything did, until Martha finally arrived.

* * *

  
“Hey Jack! I’m sorry I’m a bit late!” She said in a rush until she noticed that they had visitors. ”I umm… didn’t know we were expecting guests.”

  
“Neither did I, Martha. The Doctor and his... companion Clara just kind of dropped in. They’re actually here to see you.” Jack explained, and Martha’s eyes widened with realisation. She stepped closer to the Doctor, and he nodded in response to her silent question.

  
“Yes Martha, it really is me. How do you like the new face?” He asked, to which she laughed out loud.

“Your hair has improved. But that _chin_! You could take an eye out with that sucker!”

  
“You're telling me... Every time he leans down for a kiss I worry he might accidentally give me a black eye!” Clara said, and the two women began to laugh and discuss the Doctor while Jack and the Time Lord in question stood by awkwardly until Martha turned back to them.

“So Doctor, what was it that you needed from me?” She asked the suddenly bright red man.

  
“Er... Actually, we’ve encountered a sort of... problem. And you are the only medical doctor qualified for this sort of thing that we can trust. It’s very important that this remains as secret as possible for now. I- I can’t _lose_ another- not after-“ the Doctor rambled, circling around the actual reason, but Martha understood that he must love his companion. And Clara must be in some sort of danger. But how could _she_ , as a _medical_ _doctor_ , help them? She didn’t have to wonder for long, because Clara cleared her throat and began to speak some sense.

  
“I’m pregnant, Martha. It's the Doctor's, and we need someone to help us monitor things, make sure everything is alright. But we also need someone we can trust, because well, the Doctor is involved.” The smaller woman said, her eyes fierce and Martha couldn’t help but be happy for her (now completely red eared) friend. Clara really was something special. She smiled at the pair, who were holding hands now.

  
“Of course I’ll help the two of you. And I can keep a secret, obviously. I’ll do the best of my ability to make sure both of you are healthy and happy.”

* * *

  
Clara felt anxious and excited as Martha led them to the examination area that was located just off the Hub. What if on top of being partially alien, there was something wrong with the baby? What if there was something wrong with her? Although she’d had very little time to think about all of this, Clara was now determined to have this child. The little one deserved the best she and the Doctor could give, which admittedly was quite a bit more than the average parent. And maybe she was frustrated with the Doctor for rushing around like this; for not giving her the chance to breathe and wrap her mind around the situation before whisking her off to Cardiff for a scan. Her day had begun so simply… but everything had changed now. She felt overwhelmed by the responsibility that was to come.

* * *

  
Martha left to prepare, and Clara sat on the table, legs swinging off of the edge, as she stared at the sterile tiles that covered the floor. The Doctor brought a chair to her bedside, and took her hand reassuringly.

“Clara… I know that this is moving pretty fast. Are you alright with… everything?”

  
“I… yeah. I think I’m coping just fine.”

  
“Good. I… I didn’t want you to feel forced into any of this. I just want to make sure you are alright.”

“I know that you would never force me into anything. But I.. I want to properly discuss all of this later. Not here, not now. Alright?” She said softly, smiling at her boyfriend who reached out and squeezed her hand after he gave a nod of agreement. The pair continued to wait for Martha in a relaxed silence.

  
“Alright then, how about we get started with the formalities, and then we take a peek at the little one?” Martha said as she pushed a futuristic looking (and it undoubtedly was from the future) ultrasound machine into the room.

  
“That sounds great, thanks.”

  
“So, when did your last period end?”

  
“Ummm… It ended about seven weeks ago... I think. Travelling makes it difficult to keep track.” 

“Oh I know! The stage of! The time is so hard to track in the vortex and on travels.” Martha replied as she wrote down the information she received.

After a few more questions, Martha began to start up the ultrasound machine. Her face brightened with the screen. “Well, it’s a good thing that you came to us, because your little one has two strong hearts beating in their chest. See?” She explained, pointing out the tiny thrumming hearts on the screen.

“Everything looks healthy for this stage of development as far as I know. Did you want to hear the heartbeats?”

“Yes!” came the dual response almost instantly.

  
Martha turned on the machine's sound and the room went quiet save the double-thrum of the baby’s hearts. Finally after a moment of listening in amazement to the fast double-thrum, Martha spoke up.

“They sound really healthy. Can’t say that there won’t be any problems, because I’m no hybrid expert, but things are going swimmingly at this point. I want you guys to come back next month.” She said, writing the date the were to come back on an appointment card.

  
“That sounds good! Thanks again Martha.”  
With that, the trio exited the examination room, and went to the main floor of the Hub so that Clara and the Doctor could say their goodbyes and be on their way.

* * *

 

Back on the TARDIS, Clara told the Doctor to give her some space. She needed to be alone with her feelings to wrap her mind around what all of this meant and grasp at how much things were going to change. He complied with her wishes easily enough - as he had over the past few weeks - and asked the Old Girl to direct Clara to his study, so he could find her in a while.

  
In the meantime, he had his guilt. He knew he had done wrong by her by whisking her off to Cardiff so soon, but he had to know she was safe. That they were safe. Because now that he knew that he was going to be a father again, he would not let them be taken away from him this time. He let his thoughts run wild as he made a simple dinner for them, preparing comforting Earth food.

  
Meanwhile, in the study that was filled with curiosities, Clara felt rushed by the whole affair. Rushed into accepting their predicament, and not having a chance to fully discuss the details with the Doctor. She paced past an antique Galifreyan clock, and the other artifacts in the room, which currently held no interest to her overwhelmed mind. She felt rushed into an ultrasound, which she felt overwhelmed by. Rushed into accepting, and even loving, their baby. She also felt slightly angry: the Doctor hadn’t even asked her if she was ready for all of this, or what she wanted to do.

  
Yet most of all, she felt happy: happy that she was going to be a mum, happy that the Doctor would be a fantastic father. He deserved the happiness after all of his suffering.

* * *

 

Later that evening, after dinner and a quick shower for Clara, she and the Doctor were snuggled up together in bed, and she knew she had to say something, or she’d burst.

“Doctor?”

  
“Yes, Clara? What is it?” he asked in return, a touch worried.

  
“Look, I… I’m a little frustrated that you didn’t ask me what I wanted to do about the baby. You assumed that I would want to keep it. And you assumed that I’m ready to be a mum, which I really am not sure about in the first place.” She said with a sigh. The Doctor turned to face her, eyes sad with the weight of her words.

“ I… Clara. I had no idea… I guess I didn’t think about what you thought. I-“

  
“Damn right you didn’t think about it! I know how much joy this must bring you, to be a father again. But I don’t know how I feel about it. If I am ready. What if I’m not good enough?”

  
“Oh Clara, you will be more than enough. You’re going to be perfect as a mum.” He said truthfully, but Clara was sceptical, so she doubted his words.

  
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” she sniffed, and he cupped her face tenderly, using the thumb to stroke her cheek in a soothing manner.

  
“No I’m not, Clever Clogs. I mean it. I really think our child will be lucky to have you as their mum. You're the right amount of kindness and stern bossiness.” He said, voice full of adoration and eyes shining with the pride and love that he couldn’t put to words in that moment.

  
“Well, I am the boss.” she said contently before falling asleep in her favourite place in the universe: her Doctor's arms.


End file.
